Chapter 38
Weeks Bay reflected a mirror image of the blue sky. Savannah stood with Hez watching Augusta offshore twenty feet in an anchored
boat. The breeze left a salty tang on her lips and lifted her hair. The sun glaring off the water made it hard to see what
was happening out in the boat.
Curious drivers slowed their vehicles to try to figure out what the police were doing. Ed clung to the side of the boat, and
the detective received a dripping-wet dive bag of evidence from him. He adjusted his mask and plunged into the water under
the Norris Bridge again.
Hez shaded his eyes. “Ed’s exhausted. It’s hard work fighting the current between Mobile Bay and Weeks Bay with those tanks.
The silt makes visibility bad.”
Savannah moved restlessly. “It’s been two days, and they’ve found some good stuff. Shouldn’t that be enough to arrest Michael?
The gun and who knows what else in those muddy bags should be plenty. There’s even a part from your old Audi.”
“The police are closing in.” He shaded his eyes with his hand and observed the activity on the boat. “I wish they’d let me on the boat to examine the evidence. Michael has to be worried—especially with that ‘leaked’ article about Ella’s murder and the cell phone.”
A picture of Bruno entering the rear door of the police station showed how unsecured the office was, and she’d expected a
break-in attempt by now. She closed her fingers around Hez’s forearm. “You need to stay out of it. There’s already a target
on your back.” She slid her hand down his arm to take his hand and steer him toward their vehicles. “You have a class to teach
in an hour.”
He resisted her tug. “I’d hoped to see some sudden activity that might indicate they’re heading out to arrest him. I’d love
to be there and see his shock when they snap the cuffs on him. He needs to pay for what he did to our daughter.”
She released him and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. “I want to bring him to justice too, but his arrest won’t bring
back Ella. She’ll always be part of us and I will miss her every day of my life, but I keep reminding myself that God’s justice
is better than anything we can do.” She reached up and smoothed the lines between his blue eyes with her fingertip. “I want
to see that worry disappear and your smile come back. You’ve been so focused on getting Michael behind bars that I haven’t
heard you laugh in weeks.”
“It’s not just justice for Ella—it’s Simon’s future I’m worried about too.”
“So am I, but I keep reminding myself God loves Simon even more than we do, and he will take care of him. Trust is hard for
me—especially after losing Ella—but I’m working on it. I want us both to try to put aside our worry and the need to fix something
that’s out of our hands. At least for now.”
He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll try, but I’d sure like to go on our honeymoon with Michael behind bars.”
“So would I.”
“If by some miracle we get Simon back before the wedding, what do we do with him on our trip?”
“Nora has already offered to stay at our house with him. Being in his own room will give him stability, and he can settle
in even if we’re not there.”
Hez pulled back and studied her face. “You think it’s going to happen, don’t you? That Michael will go to jail and we’ll have
Simon back?”
Was that what this sense of peace was all about? “I don’t know if he’ll be in our custody again before our wedding, but I
know God has a plan. I’m clinging to that even though I have to remind myself of it a thousand times a day.” She poked her
fingers in his ribs. “You might try remembering that too. And Michael’s arrest is Augusta’s job, not yours. Your job is to
think about where you’re taking me on our honeymoon. Let’s take things one day at a time and not try to micromanage everyone
else.”
Even though he nodded and walked with her to the car, this battle wasn’t over for either of them. All she could hope for was
a respite for the wedding and their honeymoon.
Michael watched through binoculars as Savannah led Hez toward their vehicles.
He kept glancing back over his shoulder, like a kid forced to leave the toy section at Walmart.
The guy spent all his time at the dive site, hanging around the police station, or huddling with that lady prosecutor, Hope Norcross.
Put another way, Hez spent every free minute hunting Michael.
It had to stop.
Michael lowered his binoculars. He’d hoped that Hez would give up after the judge granted the adoption petition. But then,
he’d had the same hope when he handed Hez those pictures of Martine and him. And when he fired shots into Hez’s condo the
night before a key hearing. And when his men put Hez in the hospital with a near-fatal brain bleed.
The guy wouldn’t give up. He couldn’t be bullied. He refused to stay down despite repeated beatings in and out of the courtroom.
He just kept coming. Michael admired that, but he couldn’t tolerate it.
Besides, Jess’s death needed to be avenged.
Michael shoved the binoculars in his truck’s glove compartment and put the vehicle in gear. He drove to the back of the woods
behind his house and turned onto an old logging road. Two hundred yards in, he stopped and tapped his horn three times in
quick succession.
A few seconds later, Jimbo appeared among the thin-trunked pines holding a pistol and eyeing the truck warily. He’d been hiding
in the woods while Michael arranged for him to be smuggled out of the country. “I thought the truck takin’ me to Mexico didn’t
leave ’til tomorrow night.”
“Change of plans.” Michael pointed to the passenger door. “Get in.”
Jimbo shrugged and climbed into the truck. “Where we goin’?”
“We’re feeding the gators again. Slouch back so no one sees your face.”
Jimbo slumped in his seat and turned away from the window as Michael pulled back onto the county road and drove toward campus. If someone glanced in through the windshield, Jimbo would be impossible to identify.
Michael pulled into the TGU parking lot and drove slowly along the rows of vehicles, scanning for Hez’s. There it was, parked
in a shady spot near the back and away from any security cameras—and Hez was still in it, doing something on his phone. Perfect.
Michael nudged Jimbo. “Our guy is in the silver GMC. We need to get him in my truck and take him out to the swamp, just like
last time.”
They parked behind Hez’s truck, jumped out, and ran to the driver’s door, guns drawn. Michael yanked open the door. “Get out!
Leave your phone and watch in your truck. And give me your gun, butt first.”
Hez’s eyes went wide with shock, then narrowed as he focused on Michael. His gaze flicked to Jimbo and recognition dawned
on his face. He looked back at Michael. “What do you want?”
“We’re going for a drive. Get out now!”
Hez sighed. “Okay.” He took off his watch and tossed it and his phone onto the seat of his truck. Then he pulled out his gun
and held it out butt-first. As Michael reached for it, Hez flipped it around with a flick of his wrist.
Michael hadn’t expected Hez to go without a fight. He jumped to the side and slapped at the gun, throwing off Hez’s aim. A
shot erupted from Hez’s pistol, but the bullet buried itself in the asphalt rather than Michael’s chest.
Jimbo grabbed Hez’s wrist and yanked him out of the car. Michael sucker punched the lawyer, stunning him long enough for them to take his pistol and shove him into the back seat of Michael’s truck. Michael scanned the area as he got into the cab. No one in sight.
Hez came to as Michael pulled out of the parking lot. Michael glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure Jimbo had everything
under control. Hez struggled for a moment, but Jimbo held his arm in an iron grip and jammed his gun into Hez’s ribs. Hez
winced and stopped fighting. He met Michael’s gaze in the mirror. “Okay, we’re going for a drive. What do you want?”
“You killed my daughter.”
Hez’s brows furrowed in confusion. “You think I blew up my own car?”
“You knew the bomb was in it and you gave Jess the keys.”
Hez shook his head. “I had no idea there was a bomb in the car. If I did, I would’ve called the police.”
“Then why did you leave it sitting in the lot for weeks?”
“I couldn’t drive.” Hez tapped the left side of his skull. “Your guys put me in the hospital, remember? No driving for three
months.”
Michael’s knuckles whitened on the wheel. “You knew it was there! You’ve figured out everything—you must’ve figured out that
too. You knew Jess set you up and tried to keep you and Savannah apart. You knew she put TGU in bankruptcy. So you killed
her in a way that kept your hands completely clean. You’re a smart guy, Counsel. Stop playing dumb!”
“I’m not like you, Michael.” Disgust and controlled rage filled Hez’s voice. “I didn’t kill your daughter—but you did kill
mine.”
“I didn’t kill Ella.”
“Liar!”
Michael looked in the mirror. Hez’s eyes glared back at him, full of blue fire. The man had a gun in his ribs and must know
where they were taking him, but he wasn’t sweating or begging for his life. He was furious and spitting insults.
Michael gave a low laugh. “I should have killed you a long time ago. I would’ve saved a lot of trouble. Couldn’t bring myself
to do it, though. I liked you too much. Ah, well. Too bad you weren’t born a Willard.”
Surprise registered on Hez’s face, but he said nothing.
Michael slowed as they reached the edge of Gum Swamp. “Do you like poetry, Counsel?”